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Figure 1 Peak Regional Systolic Ecc (%) by CRP Quartiles (mg/l) in Men and Women

(A) Mean + SE error bars of peak systolic circumferential strain (Ecc) in the left anterior descending artery (LAD), left circumflex artery (LCX), and right coronary artery (RCA) regions are shown. Open bars, dotted bars, ruled bars, and solid bars indicate 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quartiles of C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, respectively. (B) Simple linear regression was used to determine the trend. The p values indicate significance levels. By convention, systolic Ecc is normally negative because of circumferential shortening. Therefore, lower (absolute) values of Ecc reflect decreased regional function.